Poor quality A83 petrol to be axed by end of the year

HA NOI (VNS)— Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given the nod to the Ministry of Industry and Trade's proposal to stop the production and sale of petrol A83 as of January 1 next year.

As reported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to the Government, A83 is poor-quality petrol with an octane index lower than regulated, incompatible with most vehicles on the city's roads that have been designed to use petrol with high octane indices, like A92 and A95.

The move was made after a number of filling stations were found to have cheated customers by mixing petrol A83 with higher-octane grades such as A92 and A95 to sell at a higher price, according to the ministry.

Many violations had been uncovered and punished, but the problem persisted, said the ministry in its report.

Market demand for petrol A83 is very low. In 2010, the petrol accounted for 8.67 per cent of total petrol consumed nationwide, and 8.64 per cent in 2011.

Petrol A83 is usually used in old vehicles or boats in remote areas.

Experts said the use of petrol A83, which has a lower octane index level than regulated, would lead to high emissions of sulphur dioxide, causing environmental pollution.

A similar proposal was made by the ministry in 2006, but the petrol has remained in use until now. — VNS